We, the participants in the Regional Symposium on Cooperative Peace in Southeast Asia, held in the framework of UNESCO's project "Towards a culture of peace" and in the context of ASEAN's cooperative peace activities, held in Jakarta, Indonesia on September 11 and 12 of 1998, at the joint initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),

Aware that, on the very eve of the twenty-first century, the nations of Southeast Asia are called upon to rise to unprecedented new challenges, in a spirit of reinforced cooperation and solidarity, in order to consolidate peace and foster development in the benefit of their peoples,

1. Underlining the importance of the progress made in the framework of ASEAN for ensuring a cooperative peace in Southeast Asia,

2. Acknowledging the importance for the peoples of Southeast Asia of the new perspectives opened by the culture of peace which UNESCO has been promoting throughout the world "in order to build the defences of peace in the minds of men", as it is called upon by its Constitution,

3. Convinced that the spirit of intellectual and moral solidarity, equality and partnership as promoted by UNESCO and ASEAN is a key factor for ensuring lasting peace, sustainable social and economic development, and dialogue among peoples and cultures,

4. Considering furthermore that without peace there can be no development and that without development there can be no lasting peace,

5. Underlining the fact that the construction of peace, sustainable economic and social development and respect for the democratic principles of justice, freedom, mutual tolerance and solidarity go hand in hand,

6. Conscious that a new approach to security is necessary in order to take into account non-military threats to peace and security, in particular extreme poverty, environmental degradation and the aggravation of social inequalities and in order to identify the ways and means for their eradication at source,

7. Aware of our responsibility towards future generations and their right to live in peace and in a healthy environment,

8. Stressing the need for the reinforcement of the long standing cooperation between the nations of Southeast Asia and UNESCO in the fields of education, science, culture, and communication, in particular with a view to enhancing the contribution of the stakeholders in these fields to peace, development and democracy in the region,

9. Recalling that the General Assembly of the United Nations has proclaimed the year 2000 as the International Year for the Culture of Peace, for which UNESCO will act as lead agency within the United Nations system,

10. Recalling that the Fifth ASEAN Summit, held in Bangkok on 14-15 December 1995, declared that "Cooperative peace and shared prosperity shall be the fundamental goals of ASEAN",

     

    Do hereby State

     

11. The nations of Southeast Asia, bound together by centuries of history and culture, have made significant progress in the last three decades to found a prosperous and peaceful community in the framework of ASEAN. They are called upon today, maybe more than ever before, to reaffirm their determination to ensure their peaceful, progressive and endogenous development in accordance with the ideals and aspirations of their peoples. Indeed, the economic, financial and environmental issues which have affected many of the countries of the region during the past year must be addressed on the basis of strengthened bonds of regional solidarity and cooperation, considering that the countries of Southeast Asia share a primary responsibility for strenghtening the economic and social stability of the region as embodied in the ASEAN Declaration of 1967.

12. In this context, strategies for attenuating the effects of the current problems on the poorest sectors of the population, in particular in the fields of education, health, nutrition, and productive employment should be implemented rapidly in a spirit of a caring society. Preventive strategies should also be implemented in the field of environmental protection with a view to preserve and ensure the sustainable use of the natural ressources of each country and of the region as a whole. At the same time, the achievements made in the nations of Southeast Asia in the fields of education, science and technology development must be preserved from erosion at a time when national budgets are faced with various constraints derived from the economic and financial situation affecting the region.

13. The interactions between peace and development in the context of open societies, consistent with their respective national identities, shall continue to progress in the region, through the effective mobilization of all pertinent institutions and key social actors, towards fostering of a culture of peace. Indeed, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the dialogue between cultures and religions, and the promotion of tolerance are, inter alia, key factors for giving a solid foundation to all endogenous development efforts, ensuring the participation of all. In this framework, education has a key role to play in nurturing shared values and, in particular, education for cooperative peace, social justice, rule of law, tolerance and international understanding, which should be fostered at all levels of education.

14. The progress made in the field of cooperative peace in the framework of ASEAN should be consolidated through the mobilization of all institutions and individuals who are committed to building a lasting peace in Southeast Asia, in particular on the occasion of the year 2000, proclaimed International Year for the Culture of Peace by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

15. We therefore call upon UNESCO and ASEAN to reinforce their co-operation through the undertaking of joint endeavours, which can contribute to the consolidation of peace and security, development and democracy in Southeast Asia.

16. We commend UNESCO and ASEAN for having jointly taken the initiative of organizing the Regional Symposium on Cooperative Peace in Southeast Asia, which will undoubtedly open new avenues for closer dialogue and co-operation in Southeast Asia as well as between Southeast Asia and other regions of the world. Indeed, we cherish the hope that all the above mentioned initiatives will contribute to strengthening the foundations for peace in the third millennium for all the nations of Southeast Asia, and express our commitment to further the cause of peace and dialogue through a thorough implementation of those initiatives. For it is in peace and through peace that the nations of Southeast Asia will be able to secure the future of their peoples and contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security and the attainment of common ends of mankind.